LOWER POTTSGROVE — Like few other local movements before it, the opposition to the enactment of grade centers in the Pottsgrove School District has flourished on the Web, most particularly on Facebook.

When anti-centers organizer Rick Rabinowitz set up the Facebook page to serve as a meeting place to exchange ideas and strategies, it was perhaps to be expected that it would also serve as the place Tuesday night where those opponents expressed their frustration with the board’s unanimous vote.

Similar sentiments were also expressed on The Mercury’s two Facebook pages when we sought reaction there.

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What follows is a sampling of some of the thoughts expressed in cyber-space following the board’s decision to move ahead with centers.

Chief among the concerns of the dozens and dozens who responded was the impact the change would have on their children and their families.

“My first grade daughter will be forced into four schools within three years. She does not really know anyone at West, teachers or kids, so that will be a big change for her,” posted Mike Swan.

“She also will be leaving many close friends behind at Ringing Rocks. The longer school day will be another issue, as she will likely be leaving 20-30 minutes earlier for the bus and arriving home later. So I ask the incompetents on the school board: What’s in it for my daughter?” asked Swan, adding, “by the way, she is excelling even after only going to half-day kindergarten.”

“They already moved around principals, now it will be an additional transition for each child, longer bus rides for many, parents having to keep track of multiple drop off and pick-up schedules, multiple school calendars and many other issues that may arise,” posted Tera Lewiski. “I think that they have done many families a disservice by stating that budget and full day kindergarten were the push, especially when very few board members even have children who will be affected by this transition.”

“We’re pulling my son out of kindergarten and moving,” posted Nan Guberman Kell “I moved to Upper Pottsgrove just so my son could go to ringing rocks. They already moved him to two schools and three teachers. At 6 years old he already doesn’t want to go to school anymore.”

“My opinion is its horse crap, it’s dumb and they need to buy my home so I can move now since I bought my home three blocks from a damn school because I didn’t want my kids on busses,” posted Erica Marie Via.

But there were some voices of support.

“My children are in fifth and third grade. These changes would affect my son who will be in fourth grade next year,” said Tracy Roles.

“I support (take that lightly) for a few reasons, both of my children are well liked at school, but they have both had problems with older kids picking on them, so at least in a center they would be with kids their own age, not having a 6 year old start school with 11 year olds that are huge towering over them. My third grader currently has 27 kids in his class, that is crazy, I have been to the school during the day, it is crazy in the classroom at times, not the teachers fault they have so many kids in each classroom,” Roles said.

“I have loved having my children at West, I think it is a wonderful school, but I am open to change, and children most of all adapt well to change, and we as parents, whether we like it or not should help them through the changes, what is done, can’t be changed, so we should support our schools and help our children get used to the idea of changing schools, and not make it so negative,” Roles wrote.

“Royersford has had centers for quite a few years and it has worked out great,” wrote Brenda Borowski-Tharp. “I don’t know why people are so opposed. I guess people don’t like change. I think this is going to be the future of all school districts.”

Others expressed the belief that the decision was made far in advance.

“It was obvious to me that the fix was in on this vote for months,” Jeff Lockey wrote in a letter to the editor submitted to The Mercury.

“The full day kindergarten was trotted out to bolster the board position, but boils down to an attempt to dangle a carrot (a very small carrot) in my opinion, as it affects a negligible number of kids, and admittedly, the money is not there, so it seems premature to even discuss,” Lockey wrote.

“I hate to be catty but both of my children in the district score really well and frankly I won’t have them used as pawns to keep the averages up,” wrote Jeni Alexander.” I think they will find themselves in a worse position as those with means leave the district taking their test scores with them — they scoff at combining with Pottstown, well it may be inevitable.”

“There must be something the school board saw that 90 percent of the parents in the district did not see. What bothers me is there is supposed to be complete transparency in the decision making process,” wrote Don Clancy, who added that he is considering running for the school board himself.

“How can something this controversial be unanimously approved without dissent of any kind among the members of the board? Either there was some level of discussion behind the scenes, or the plan was worked out in advance,” Clancy wrote.

Others said they might have embraced the move, if the process of involving the public had been more long-lived and allowed for more input.

“The board has a chance to be the hero and unite everyone by saying lets complete the entire plan and the implementation plan and vote on this in September for the following year,” posted Greg Barry. “Instead they betrayed the confidence of the community by voting for this.”

“Had the board postponed the decision until the many unresolved issues were worked out, many of us here may have supported you and the board or at least respected your decision,” Swan wrote. “Now all I can think about is the day you and the others are voted out of office. The centers plan as it stands now is an incomplete mess and none of you had the guts to stand up to the administration and make them do their due diligence.”

“I am also very disappointed that the administration and the board have missed this opportunity to promote good-will and grow trust within our school district. If there is good to come out of this, I can definitely speak to the increased involvement of parents in their children’s education: at home, in school, with the PTOs, on committees, and at school board meetings,” wrote Sherry Rohn Clancy.

“I also believe the next school board election will be interesting to cover,” she added. “No doubt, new members will be elected to hold the administration to higher levels of accountability and communication.”

“The reason people are so upset is less about the decision itself and more about the process and the unanimous vote,” wrote page creator and organizer Rick Rabinowitz.

“By encouraging public comment, questions, etc. over an extended period of time, you gave these people, myself included, hope that our voice matters. A 9-0 vote, given the clear majority of residents against the centers, told us that this hope was a delusion,” Rabinowitz posted. “The presence of the police, regardless of how they got there, was gasoline to the flame of tension and distrust. The obvious adoption of talking points by some members of the board when using the exact same words ‘we represent all the children of the district’ further infuriates us and gives us the feeling, right or wrong, that this decision was predetermined.”

“I ask myself over and over why I’m so upset about this decision – and the answer is not because I’m afraid of change. It’s not because I don’t think my children can thrive in a new atmosphere. It’s not because of a longer bus ride. (Although I admittedly hate all of those ideas), wrote Courtney Quinones Glass.

“It’s simply because I feel that this decision was forced down the community’s throat. I feel handcuffed. Nothing is more frustrating than knowing that your voice doesn’t matter,” Quinones Glass wrote. “Sure, the Board went through the motions and heard public opinion and provided Q & A sessions. Unfortunately, that was all smoke and mirrors. This was a done deal from the outset. I find it difficult to believe that the 1400-plus people that were not sold on the public administrative pitch missed the silver lining that the board saw.”